Fate's Gambit
by shadowzeroV7
Summary: With the Lich King being manipulated by the Deity Chaos the destruction of Azeroth draws ever nearer. Fate herself takes a chance and rolls the dice, bringing together an unlikely group of heroes. Will they luck out or will Fate's gambit be their undoing?
1. Prologue

This was the last time, Fate had made up her mind. She was not going to let yet another world be destroyed by Chaos and his brethren. She and Destiny had spoken of this before; It was cruel and unfair that Chaos had been meddling in the affairs of lesser beings so much as to shatter whole dimension one at a time. She had just heard him talking, nay, bragging of how he was so close to ending his latest conquest, a place named Azeroth, and was already plotting his next target. Well, she had been doing some plotting of her own. She just hoped she had chosen her pawns well. No, that is not right, they are not her pawns. She and Destiny may have lain the roads for them to follow, but they will choose there own path. Yes they will be Knights. Knights fighting to decide the fate of not only Azeroth, but now Earth as well.

Kenneth had yet to open his eyes and already he knew , this was not going to be his day. His head throbbed painfully, and the morning light dancing merrily on his eyelids wasn't helping matters much. As he lifted an arm to shade his face from the sunlight his muscles screamed in protest, and the stiff joints popped loudly, causing him to groan. What had he done last night?

Thinking back he realized he had no problem recalling the last night's events. He had gone out with James for a few drinks, but had only had one or two in comparison to James' multitude. After that he had gone straight home and to bed. Maybe he should have taken James' offer of another round or two. At least then he could have justified the hangover from hell. Still though, there was this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he was missing something important. Sighing, Ken shifted his arm to block out the single ray of light that had managed to find the gap at his elbow.

"Oh good, you are finally awake."

The sound of the man's voice startled Kenneth out of his dazed, half-awakened state. All at once the realization took hold of what exactly had been bothering him since he woke up. The window in his bedroom was on the opposite side of the room, not beside the bed!

Sitting bolt upright, Ken quickly surveyed his surroundings. He was in a smallish-sized room with all stone walls, devoid of any furniture save the bed he was on and what seemed to be a handcrafted wooden desk just to his right.

His headache chose that moment to remind him it was still there, and decidedly not happy about the sudden movement. He brought his hands up to cradle his head with a hiss of pain. Ken realized that the man was speaking again and fought to hear his words over the blood pounding in his ears.

"... to wonder if I needed to fetch a Priest. You alright son? You don't look so good."

The man's gruff voice startled him at first, but he seemed friendly enough and looked genuinely concerned.

"Head's killing me," was all he managed to choke out before the dizziness took over again. The man walked over to the desk and selected a small glass vial from the variety that was on its surface.

"Here, drink this" He said, offering the vial to Ken, who took one look at the crimson liquid contained inside and politely refused. The man clearly didn't understand his reluctance to drink something the color and consistency of blood, handed to him by a stranger, and tried again.

"It's no trouble son; potions are easy to make. Just take it, you will feel better."

Ken eyed the container in the man's outstretched hand dubiously. Well, he figured, at least it couldn't make him feel any worse. He reached out for the vial, and the man handed it to him with comforting smile.

Ken pulled the stopper out and looked at the crimson liquid again. "What, no blue pill?" he muttered. He sighed and steeled his nerves. "Cheers," he thought, tipping the contents of the vial down his throat.


	2. Chapter 1

Kenneth wasn't sure what he was expecting the potion to taste like, but he never could have conceived the flavors that assaulted his senses as he drained the vial. I was almost as if someone had taken the bitter- sweetness of dark chocolate and then dumped a spoon full of salt into the mix. It didn't exactly taste bad, but he doubted that he would want to subject himself to another dose anytime soon. He grimaced at the thought and handed the empty vial back to the man.

"See, now that wasn't so bad was it?" the man said with a grin as he took the vial and returned it to the desk from which it came. Kenneth gave him a small smile and shook his head In response. Already his headache had gone from a furious pounding to a dull ache.

"Did it help any? How are you feeling now?" the man asked, eyeing Kenneth curiously.

Sitting up a bit more Ken rolled his shoulders and neck, feeling the tense muscles stretch and pop, but no pain. "I feel…. great." He said surprised as he held his hands out in front of him and flexed his fingers, cracking his knuckles in the process. "Amazing, all the aches and pains are gone." He continued in awe.

"Excellent!" the man stated nodding his head and smiling, obviously happy with the outcome. He picked up the chair that was slid under the little desk and brought it to face backwards in front of Ken and sat down. "Now, " the man started, looking serious " son, I have a question for you."

Kenneth's head snapped up. Now that he was fully coherent many questions of his own were beginning to float around in his mind. The most disconcerting of these was "Where am I and how did I get here…". Before he could ponder this any further the man began to speak again.

"What were you doing out in the middle of the forest unarmed, and alone might I add!" He said, with a tone that reminded Ken of a father scolding his child. "That neck of the woods is Defias territory, and you were just a stone's throw from Duskwood. That is a dangerous place these days m'boy. No place for someone who is both unarmed and unprepared!"

Kenneth's mind was reeling. What was this man going on about? "Who are 'Defias', and I've never heard of this 'Duskwood' place you're talking about. Where the heck am I?" he stated in confusion. None of this made any sense. He had never heard of any place by the name of "Duskwood", especially not anywhere in Georgia. How far from home was he, and how did he get here…. "Where am I?" He repeated softly, cradling his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry m'boy, but it sounds to me as though you have lost your memories from whatever caused that headache of yours. " The man's voice was softer now, causing Kenneth to look up and observe him. He had slumped down in the chair and was running his hand over his eyes as though he was extremely weary all of a sudden. "A horrible loss for someone your age." the words held a sense of deep pain and loss for the man and as his hand slid down to stroke his gray beard Ken noticed that his clear blue eyes were now bloodshot and watery.

Seeing this sparked something in Ken. He quickly stood, an unknown strength and determination springing forth inside of him. "My name is Kenneth Chambers, I will be 22 in a month. My mother and father are Rebecca and Brent Chambers. I have a little sister named Clare. I live on the southern coast of Georgia, in the United States of America. I remember my town, my apartment, even the name of my creepy neighbor's dog. The only thing I can't remember is how I got here, but I intend to find out." Kenneth stated this with a finality that surprised even himself. While he spoke he had not turned his gaze from the man, hoping to pull him out of whatever painful memory he had fallen so deeply into. He had expected the surprised look that had come first, but that had lasted only a moment. By the time he had finished speaking it had changed three more times. From confusion into realization and then finally coming to rest on something that could only be described as awe.

The silence in the room was deafening. It seemed to stretch on for minutes, but in actuality it had only been a few seconds. Finally the man lifted his gaze from the floor to look at Ken. His eyes were still bloodshot, but the pain behind them was gone. It had been replaced by something much stronger—hope.

The man took a deep breath. "My name is Gareth Strom, and it seems we have much to talk about, 'Kenneth Chambers,'" he said with a smile. "Much indeed," he said while standing, his knees popping in protest as he replaced the chair under the desk. "But first, I believe some dinner is in order. You have been asleep quite some time lad, and I'm willing to bet you're starving by now!" he said with a wink and clapped his hand to Kenneth's shoulder.

Now that they were both standing Ken realized that he was almost as tall as the man, if not taller. He could have sworn that the man had been taller than him. This caused him to pause a moment to get a better look at the man he had been speaking with since he had woken up. His dark brown hair had already started to gray, giving him a salt and peppered look, although his well trimmed beard was well past that point. His eyes were a stormy blue with crinkles and lines at the corners that spoke volumes about his wisdom and age. Even though it was obvious that the man was well past his prime, it seemed that he kept himself in excellent physical condition.

They exited the small room and walked straight into a kitchen. Kenneth surveyed his surroundings. It seemed that there was only one other room in the home besides the one he had awakened in and the kitchen. Its door was also at the back of the kitchen, like the one he had just come from, only at the opposite corner. In the middle of the kitchen sat a wooden table with a pair of chairs. It appeared to be handmade, just like the desk and bed he saw in the bedroom. On the opposite side of the table was a pair of double windows and what he assumed was the door leading outside between them. The far right wall was mostly covered by shelves and at its center was a fireplace complete with a merrily burning fire which the man had stooped down in front of. He seemed to be dishing some sort of soup out of a pot hanging above the fire into a pair of bowls. The home was a far cry from the comforts he was used to in the confines of his own apartment, but there was something about it that just felt right.

"Have a seat m'boy. I know it's not much but please have as much as you would like." The man said while placing the bowls on the table. Kenneth looked at the room once more and then chose the chair that put his back to the fire, facing him to the room at large. The man had gone to retrieve a pair of wooden spoons from a shelf near the fire and when he turned back to the table gave a chuckle at Ken's choice of chairs.

"Don't like to have your back to an open room do you?" he said, handing Ken one of the spoons with a grin. Ken accepted the spoon from the man with a quick thank you and replied

"Yeah, it's an odd habit of mine. I just get jumpy with all the open space behind me like that." Looking down at the soup in front of him he tried to guess what was in it. It looked like it contained a green veggie along with some sort of meat, all mixed into a thick broth. It looked good, but still he liked to know what he was eating.

"Err.. so what is it?" he asked the man, gesturing at the bowl in front of him. The man finished a spoonful of his own soup before answering.

"That, m'boy, is Gareth's famous Westfall Stew." He said with a wink. "The best stew you'll find around here, if I do say so myself"

Kenneth looked back down at the stew in front of him. "Westfall Stew, hmm?" With a mental shrug he scooped some up and brought it to eye level. "Why not?" he said to himself. It was actually very tasty, and reminded him a little of a light beef stew. Finding it very much to his liking, Kenneth began to eat in earnest.

Gareth watched for a moment before speaking. "So Kenneth," he started. "I do believe I can answer one of your questions," he said, folding his hands together over his empty bowl. Ken paused mid bite to look at Gareth. "Your question as to where you are." He continued with Ken's full attention now on him. "You are at the town of Goldshire, in Elwynn Forest. We are just a day or so south of the capital Stormwind City."

Kenneth swallowed the bite he had been chewing. "'Stormwind'?" he repeated slowly. "I've never heard of it. What continent are we on?" he asked. Gareth gave Ken an amused look after he said this.

"You truly have never heard of the city of Stormwind?" he asked Kenneth. When Ken shook his head in response Gareth couldn't help but grin. "Is that so? Well I believe I may know where this is going, but how about this; We are on the content known as the 'Eastern Kingdoms,'" he said, and watched as Ken said the name to himself a few times quietly before he seem to reach an answer he liked.

"The Eastern Kingdoms, as in like Asia?" he asked Gareth, who let out a hearty chuckle and shook his head.

"I'm afraid I don't know this 'Asia' place you speak of m'boy." Kenneth let out a sigh at his response and took another bite of stew before speaking again. "I think you're enjoying this too much, Gareth." He said to the older man whilst shaking his spoon at him playfully. "I take it you know something I don't, since you aren't too surprised that I have no clue where I am?" he asked. Gareth nodded and leaned forward on the table closer to Kenneth.

"M'boy, I believe another hero has been delivered to Azeroth by the gods themselves," he said, with not even a trace of the playfulness that had been there before.

Kenneth was shocked to say the least. "Wait, 'Azeroth'? This world is called 'Azeroth?'" Ken shook his head disbelievingly. "So I'm in another world? I'm not on Earth?" Gareth nodded his head slowly. His pale blue eyes locked on Kenneth's own cobalt blue ones, which were now unfocused from shock.

"Brought here by Fate, destined to deliver us from the dark times that have fallen upon us." Gareth said, hoping to regain the boy's attention. It seemed to do the trick, and Kenneth looked up at him.

"I don't know what is going on, but I'm obviously not anywhere near home anymore," he said, turning his head to look out the window, where he observed a bird hopping from fencepost to fencepost. "'A hero,'" he said, returning his gaze to his now empty bowl.

Gareth could see that he was reluctant to think of himself as a possible hero, the hunch of his shoulders and the deepness of his frown were enough to attest to that. "Then again, some of the greatest heroes of all time were the most unwilling to take the name," he mused. There was a brief moment of silence between them. That is, until Kenneth's stomach decided to growl in hunger. They looked up at each other in bewilderment for a moment before Gareth began to roar with laughter. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Ken grinned and gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"Hehe, I guess all this talk of darkness and heroes had made me hungry again. Any chance I could have some more stew?" he asked the breathless Gareth, who was wiping his watering eyes.

"Please help yourself," he replied congenially. "It's on the hearth still so it will stay warm," he said, pointing at the pot next to the fireplace. Kenneth nodded his thanks to the older man and stood to get his second helping.

"You know what?" he said, while taking the lid off the simmering stew. Gareth looked his way with a raised eyebrow. "With everything that has happened today, I'm not sure anything can surprise me at this point," he said with a grin at Gareth, and went to ladle himself some more stew. Looking in the pot, he yelped in surprise and took a few steps back.

"What? What's wrong?" Gareth said while standing quickly. "Did you burn yourself?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Kenneth shook his head and swallowed hard.

"Uhh… Gareth, did you know there was an eye in your stew?" he asked, clearly shaken. Gareth paused and looked at Ken, blinking once, then twice, and then burst into hysterical laughter. Kenneth looked at the man as if he had gone insane, and then began to nervously laugh along with him, still eyeing the pot. Gareth made his way over to his chair, still trying to contain his laughter, and sat down breathing heavily.

"That is the eye of a murloc," Gareth told him when he could speak again. "It is a key ingredient in making Westfall Stew. Adds flavor, you know?" he said with a grin.

Kenneth replied with a soft "Oh" and took a peek into the pot again. He stood poised over the stew, ready to ladle out another serving. The internal debate showed clearly on his face. To eat or not to eat? His stomach growled unhappily again, and that seemed to make up his mind. "I _have_ already eaten some, and it does taste good…" he thought. So with a visible shrug, he served himself another helping.

Sitting back down, he asked Gareth "So what _is_ a murloc exactly?"

With a grin Gareth answered him. "A murloc is a fish-like humanoid type monster that is really more of an annoyance than a menace. Lots of trainees use them for easy target practice when the population gets a little overcrowded." Kenneth nodded his understanding and continued eating his stew. "By the way lad, where you're from, had you started your training yet?" Gareth asked curiously. Kenneth shook his head in confusion.

"Training for what?" he asked. Gareth sighed thoughtfully.

"I can see by you confusion that you haven't." he said after a moment. "Well, in Azeroth, at the age of fifteen, our children have the option to start their martial training. That is, they can go to a trainer and learn their basic combat techniques. Then hopefully in a year's time, when they come of age, they will know what specialty trainer they will need to seek out in order to further their skills."

"I see," said Ken, after a moment's pause. "But why would they need to go to a specialized trainer? It's all combat types, correct?" Gareth nodded and continued.

"They are all combat types, yes. But there are many different paths. Hence the specialized trainers." Kenneth expected him to say more on the subject, but he seemed to be deep in thought, so he decided answer Gareth's earlier question.

"I do have some martial arts experience, though." Gareth cocked an eyebrow at this and waited for him to continue. "My best friend James and I have been studying several styles of hand to hand combat for years, as well as some weapons training. We never really had too much to work with in the way of weapons, though—wooden training swords and staves mostly." Gareth nodded and leaned forward a bit.

"Are you any good?" he asked bluntly. Kenneth thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

"I would say I can fare better than an average person. I can defend myself at least, and that was all it was really for." Gareth seemed to like his answer because he rocked back in his chair and clapped his hands together with a bark of laughter.

"HA! It's decided then. Tonight we rest and I will teach you about the world of Azeroth," he said, sliding his chair forward a bit, "and tomorrow m'boy, I will take you to see Jaxson!"

"Who is Jaxson?" asked Kenneth. Gareth smiled and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Brian Jaxson is our local weapon master and basic combat trainer," he replied. Kenneth nodded his assent.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan," Kenneth stated excitedly. "So," he started, " what about Azeroth do I need to know first?"

* * *

Fate was pacing again. Where was Destiny! She should have been here by now! She really needed to calm down, it was far too early in the game to start stressing herself this much. But there was so much at stake. If Destiny didn't get here soon she was going to go track her down and…

Her idle threat was cut short by a pair of comforting arms circling her waist from behind. She whirled around in the embrace and came nose to nose with the object of her ire.

"Destiny, where have you been!" Fate punctuated the last four words with a prod to the other girl's shoulder. "You were supposed to be here ages ago, we still have so much to do and the…" Her tirade was cut short when Destiny's mouth covered her own. Destiny ended the kiss after a moment and began to speak.

"Just relax Luv, everything is on schedule and all the players are in position," she told Fate in a calming tone. "Our job is done for now," she continued. "All that is left is to watch over them and do what we can." Fate sighed and lay her head on Destiny's shoulder.

"Cheater." Fate's remark came out almost as a pout, causing Destiny to giggle at her partner. Fate and Destiny turned, arm in arm, to watch and see where the dice they had cast would land.

* * *

A/N

I know it is starting off a little bit slow, but bear with me a little longer. The pace should pick up in the next chapter somewhat.

Maybe…

We will at least get to see a few more characters being introduced in the next chapter, and a bit more of the plot will make itself known.

Blame Fate and Destiny. They are the ones running the show, I'm just the publisher. -_-


	3. Chapter 2

~My thanks to those that reviewed! All feedback is greatly appreciated.

* * *

The sound of a twig breaking to the right of her caused Meira to halt and shade her eyes in an attempt to see through the morning gloom. It was still early enough in the day that the ever-present morning fog had yet to dissipate from the woods and towns that made up Elwynn Forrest, making for slow going for any who traveled the roads at that hour. Most of the locals, who were used to the hindrance, stayed close to their homes until it cleared up some. On the other hand, the fog was a wonderful aid to those who wished to travel unseen. You never knew what type of people would be wandering around in the misty woodlands. It could be a thief or pickpocket looking for some easy gold.

"Elune knows the Defias are becoming more common around here than the Murlocs," she mused. Although, it could just be one of the local farmers getting an early start, or even…

"It was a Doe having breakfast," supplied a disembodied voice from the tree line. " You can relax now, sister," the voice continued, with a light laugh behind it. As Meira watched, the owner of the voice materialized suddenly a few feet in front of her. Had she not known better, she would have thought it a trick the fog had played on her eyes. She released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

It was a good thing her sister Keira was a mistress of the shadows, a Rogue, for it wouldn't bode well if any passer-by happened to stumble across them. Although they were sisters by blood, anyone who saw the two of them together would not come to the conclusion easily. At that thought Meira turned her head to glance at her sister, again taking in the differences in their appearances. Keira's honey colored skin and auburn hair stood out in stark contrast to Meira's own purple-tinged skin and midnight blue hair. The heavy hooded cloak Keira had been wearing had been stuffed hastily into her pack when she realized that the chances of being seen this dense fog were slim to none, and she was relishing this chance to walk out in the open unhindered and without a care. Keira turned to look at Meira, her dark green eyes meeting Meira's own luminescent purple ones.

"You're slipping, Meira," she teased as they walked. The only sound coming from her movement was the swish of her studded fighters' skirt and the occasional squeak from her thigh-high leather boots. Not even the two short swords, whose hilts were nestled at the small of her back, made a whisper. "A Druid of your ability should have been able to sense that doe from yards away, let alone a few feet," she continued, with a grin at her sister. Meira gave her a small smile, slightly embarrassed by her sister's playful jibes

The truth was, Meira _should_ have been able to feel the presence of the deer long before it startled them, but this quest had left such a weight on her mind. So much was at stake this time, and it was all placed upon her shoulders. She sighed and shook her head. Best not to dwell on that at the moment.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Keira's hand on her shoulder. Normally, that wouldn't have been possible because of the enormous winged spaulders that adorned the formal robe that she usually wore when traveling as a dignitary, but seeing as the weather was amicable she had stored it in her pack in favor of her more comfortable combat attire—a leather hauberk that left her shoulders bare and a form-fitting skirt that still allowed her to move quickly if the need should arise. Unlike her sister, she did not carry any visible weapons other than a skinning knife she had sheathed in one of her calf high boots and her walking staff, its head twisted around itself and into a small circle that housed a beautiful purple gem.

Then again, being a Druid, _she_ was a weapon. Cat like reflexes and razor sharp claws were nothing to scoff at. The thought brought a satisfied smile to her lips. The hand on her shoulder tightened slightly and she realized that Keira was still watching her, obviously concerned about her prior grimness. No, she wasn't the only one weighed down by this quest, Meira realized. Keira would be there with her every step of the way, and had already begun to shoulder as much of the horrible burden for her as she could.

"What made you believe that Goldshire would be the place to start anyway, Keira?" Meira asked suddenly, confused. "I thought we had decided to hire a gryphon to go to Lakeshire and work our way back from there, seeing as the king wants us to have an audience with him again before we leave his land." Keira shot her a sharp look.

"He wants _you _to come by again—he will be meeting me for the first time," she stated hotly. While the dispute between the Alliance and the Horde had been settled for quite some time now, there were many that still could not let go of old hatreds, and Keira most definatly looked like a Blood Elf. That made it difficult for her to stroll through the Alliance capital of Stormwind City, to say the least.

Truth be told, the sisters had given up trying to distinguish themselves as either Blood Elf or Night Elf. They were just Elvin, and that was that. After a moment of silence passed, Meira looked up at Keira and playfully nudged her in the ribs with an elbow.

"Hey!" Keira exclaimed, swatting at Meira's arm as it came in for a second time. "What was that for?" she asked with a hint of laughter.

"You didn't answer my question," Meira said with a grin. "I swear, getting an answer out of a Rogue is like beating your head against a tree—all you get is a headache." Keira huffed and crossed her arms with a glare.

"Yeah, well at least…" Keira started to say something, but stopped and seemed to notice something over Meira's shoulder. "Hey look, a rat," she stated, with a nod in the direction she was looking. Hearing those words, Meira spun around with a predatory grin on her face to find…nothing. Her grin faded as she realized she had been duped.

"That wasn't nice," Meira said with a pout, turning back to face her sister, who was outright laughing at her actions.

"Yeah, but it was better than beating your head against a tree, wasn't it?" she said with a grin, and then stuck her tongue out at Meira, who couldn't help but smile also.

"Okay, okay," Meira said in defeat. " But really now, Keira." Keira looked up at the seriousness of her voice. Meira knew she wouldn't avoid answering this time, so she continued, "Why are you so set on Goldshire? You liked our plan before, what happened?" Keira sighed and shook her head slowly before answering.

"I don't really know, Meira. While you were meeting King Varian, I overheard some of the men from the local Warriors' Guild talking." She spared a moment to glance over her shoulder before continuing. "They were talking about this one particular set of trainees from Goldshire, and how it was unfair that they were always getting passed up for quests for some reason or another. Nobody is really sure why, because from what people have seen of them , they were finished with their training a long time ago." She paused and rolled her eyes before commenting, "Then one rather bawdy Warrior ended the conversation by saying that he didn't really give a shit because that meant more rewards for him, and proceeded to grab the ass of a woman near him." She finished her tale with a sigh, and Meira was snickering behind her hand at the disgusted tone of Keira's voice.

"Did she give him hell for it?" Meira asked with a grin. Keira grinned, herself, before answering.

"Oh, that's the best part!" she began. "_This_ particular woman happened to be a Priestess of the Holy Order." Hearing this, Meira gasped a quick "oh my!" and Keira continued. "Poor guy never saw what hit him" she finished, before they both dissolved into a fit of laughter.

As they continued walking, Meira mulled over the information that Keira had given her, but something still didn't add up. They had heard similar reports of trainees with unrivaled potential from not only Lakeshire, but from Westfall as well. When she reminded Keira of this, she just sighed again and looked to the ground with a frown. Meira decided to let the matter go for the moment, instead pointing out to her sister that the fog was almost completely gone and they would be reaching the town in another hour or so.

Hearing that news seemed to free Keira from whatever deep thought she had been struggling with, and she shifted her pack in order to fish out her hooded cloak. When it was finally free, she shook it out and held it up as if inspecting it for a long moment before cursing heavily in Thalassian.

"To hell with that," she said darkly. "I am not putting that thing back on, I'll roast!" Meira sighed heavily, a small smile on her lips. This wasn't the first time they had held this conversation. Meira started to speak, only to be cut off by Keira.

"Yeah, yeah, I know things go smoother if I am not seen," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I will just stay stealthed while we are here—that way, while you are playing meet and greet, I can go find us a place to set up camp."

Meira nodded her assent and replied, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Just don't go getting yourself into trouble." Keira turned and fixed her with an unbelieving stare.

"Pot…. Kettle… Black?" She said while extending a finger for each word, then cut a glance at her sister with a grin. Meira let loose a bark of laughter and took a swipe at the back of Keira's head, but she had vanished into thin air long before her hand got there. Meira just shook her head. With her being a Druid, and Keira being her sister, she would really have to try in order to hide from Meira completely. Meira turned to face general direction in which she knew the stealthy Rogue to be and began to speak.

"We are close enough now that we may start running into townspeople. You should probably stay hidden for the rest of the walk, sis." Meira frowned when she did not get an immediate reply. "Keira?" she asked, slightly worried—Keira didn't normally do this. Meira was about to call to her again when she heard her voice, much closer than she had originally thought.

"I don't know how to explain it. I heard about Goldshire, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I just knew we needed to go there… that _I_needed to go there." Keira's voice was almost a whisper, but Meira could hear every word. "Something is calling me there, something I can't ignore." . A cold chill went down Meira's spine despite the warm sun on her neck. For a moment she could have sworn she heard the distant rumble of thunder from over the hills of Stranglethorn.

There was a storm coming. The question was, would they be ready when it found them?

* * *

A/N It took me a little while to get this one written down. I am beginning to see that even though I know the basic outline of the whole plot that it is the little things that are going to trip me up. That being said, this chapter we were introduced to the sisters Meira and Keira and got a few more hints as to the direction of the story. It should all be coming into perspective here in the next chapter or so. (I think -_- )

~ShadowZeroV7


	4. Chapter 3

Morning found Kenneth sitting at Gareth's little handcrafted table with a cup full of hot tea and his mind swimming with the information about Azeroth that had been force-fed to him the night before. After many hours of talking, Gareth had deemed him "adequately informed" and they had both turned in for the night. There had been so much to cover that he was surprised that he still remembered any of it at all. Kenneth sighed and took another sip of tea.

For a guy who, as of 24 hours ago, was just waking up to an all-new world, he thought that he was taking it all in rather well. He wondered briefly if his family and friends back home had noticed that he was gone yet, and what would happen when they did. His frown became a grimace as his imagination began to supply images of his loved ones in distress over his disappearance.

He shook his head with another sigh and shifted his chair in order to look out of the window. No, thinking like that wouldn't help matters much. He was just going to have to go with the flow here on Azeroth, for surely he _must_ be here for a reason. If he could find out what that was then maybe, just maybe, he could find a way home as well. Gareth still maintained his idea that Kenneth had been brought to Azeroth by the gods themselves to be a hero in the fight against the undead forces of the Lich King and help to put an end to these dark times. Kenneth chuckled lightly to his cup. He, Kenneth Chambers, a hero? Like hell, he figured: heroes were those unbelievably handsome, overly muscled, nauseatingly charming types with perfect, cheesy smiles.

Grinning to himself, he noted that the morning fog was almost completely gone. Gareth had told him that when it had cleared up they would go visit his friend Brian Jaxson, Goldshire's basic combat and weapons instructor. Kenneth really wasn't sure what to expect. Sure, he had _some_ combat skills, but none of it was from a real instructor.

The doubts about his skills aside, something else had him on edge, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. He figured it probably had something to do with the dream he'd had last night. He had been looking for something, something important to him. He had been so close to finding it, he could feel it. The last thing he remembered about the dream was a smell. It had been something familiar. _Honeysuckle_, his mind supplied. He sighed and drained the last of his tea just as Gareth opened the door. Kenneth set his now empty cup down slowly and turned toward the old man.

"Time to go?" Kenneth asked, hating the fact that just those three words could betray how nervous he really was. Gareth nodded an affirmative.

"Brian is expecting us any time now," said Gareth with a comforting smile. "Are you ready?" Kenneth gave him a small smile in return as he stood and stretched.

"Yeah, let's go." He replied, sounding surer than he felt. Following Gareth outside, he paused a few steps away from the house and turned back to look into the window he had been staring out of just minutes ago.

_There is no turning back now_, he thought. Taking a deep breath, he began walking once more toward the road. His resolve strengthened with every step.

* * *

Keira lounged in the shade of a fair sized tree just outside of the patch of woods she had chosen to set up camp. It had turned into a very nice day once the fog had completely burnt off, and she was more than content to lie here and wait for her sister to finish her meeting with the mayor. Having found a camp site relatively quickly, she'd decided to explore the surrounding area a bit.

On the far side of the woods was a sizeable lake which seemed to be home to a family or three of murlocs, and she spent a few minutes terroriz…er, _observing_ them before moving on. Other than the small training ground next to the house she was lounging near, all the rest was woodland. The training ground wasn't much really, just a patch of dirt surrounded by the odd assortments of targets and combat dummies. Then again, she supposed that was all you really needed.

A pair of voices, both male, drew her out of her musings. Sitting up, she shaded her eyes to find their source. She spotted them just as they rounded the house, obviously heading for the training ground below her. One was an older man; it was plain to see that he had once been a fighter of some sort. Even though he had a slight limp, it wasn't enough to hide the proud set of his shoulders or the controlled swing of his arms.

The younger man he was chatting with was a different story all together. Something about him just seemed…off. Even his clothing was odd. His steps were smooth and quiet compared to the man next to him. His arms hung loosely at his sides, not quite swinging with his steps but not completely still either. "Tense," she realized. "He is nervous about going to the trainer, but why? He is too old for it to be his first time here."

She was drawn out of her thoughts by a sound behind her and up the hill. In the back of her mind she briefly wondered when she had decided to walk part way down the hill, but she brushed it off, searching for the source of the noise. She found it quickly, a shimmer to her left. She sat down again and patted the ground beside her a few times.

Sure enough, within moments the shimmer was beside her and had shifted to reveal Meira in her cat form. Keira smiled. "So how did the meeting with the mayor go?" She asked. "Did he agree to let us scout his trainees?"

Meira shook her massive head. "No he refused the request, but his reasoning for why was more than a little shaky." She let out a sigh that ended almost in a growl. "You were right, Keira; something fishy is going on here. It seems to me that he is trying to protect one of the would-be adventurers here by keeping them all at trainee status. That way, any and all potential quests would have to go through him first." Keira nodded slowly, even though her sister couldn't see the action.

"Whoever he is protecting must be related to him somehow," she mused out loud. "Someone that is close to him. His child or a younger sibling, maybe"

"Those were my thoughts, as well," Meira agreed. "So, what is going on down there?" she asked, indicating the training ground below them with a slight tilt of her head.

"Not really sure, looks almost like a new trainee come to find his class. But he seems a bit old to just be finding out."

Meira nodded in agreement. "It does look that way. Should be an interesting show."

* * *

The training ground behind Brian Jaxson's home had a random assortment of targets and wooden training dummies spread around it. Jaxson joined them soon after they arrived, and after introductions were made, he asked many questions pertaining to Kenneth's prior training—which he obviously found… lacking.

"Right then, our goal for today is to assess the extent of your weapon skills. If we're lucky, we may be able to find out your class while we're at it," Jaxson said at long last. He seemed like a kind man as far as Ken could tell, but with his sharp gaze and the way he moved, he knew without a doubt that this man was dangerous. Though Jaxson was half a head shorter than he was, he was a solid wall of muscle.

"Ok, so where do we start?" he asked. Jaxson smiled and turned to point at the row of weapons' racks nearby.

"Find one you think you can use well, and we will see what you're made of." He said, giving Kenneth a predatory grin, one that he could feel himself starting to return. _This actually sounds kind of fun_, Ken thought as he went over to the weapons. There were so many different types to choose from, he didn't really know where to start.

_Start small and go from there_, he advised himself, and picked up a matching pair of knives that were the length of his forearm. After taking a moment to admire the scrollwork along the length of the blades he took a glance at Jaxson. He had taken up a double edged one-handed sword and strapped a shield to his left arm. If he thought anything of Ken's choice of weapon, he said nothing.

_He wants to see what I make of them_, Ken guessed, and after taking a few practice slashes with the knives he sat them back down. "They are nice, but not something I would really want to have to fight with given the choice." Moving on and up he picked up a one-handed sword similar to the one Jaxson was holding. He briefly considered picking up the nearby shield as well, but decided against it.

"Want to try it out?" Jaxson asked, lifting his shield into a ready stance. Kenneth waked forward spinning the blade at his side.

"Sure, I may as well start with something I know," he replied, taking up a position in front of the trainer. Jaxson kept his shield up, but held his sword loosely in front of him. _He isn't planning on attacking me, just blocking_, Kenneth noted. "Here it goes then."

Snapping into action, Ken aimed a slash at Jaxson's left shoulder. He barely had to shift his shield to take the hit. Ken stepped with it, turning to strike at his left hip this time, and his blade again bounced off the heavy shield. Recovering, he made three quick slashes at Jaxson, all on the left side. As the last strike was blocked, Ken took the momentum from the bounce and used it to aim a spinning slash at his hopefully now open right side.

Jaxson's blade was up in a flash to parry his own, and the strength of it unbalanced him, leaving him wide open when Jaxson toppled him over with a shove from his shield. He sat there for a moment, laughing at his own stupidity.

"You forgot I had a sword," Jaxson stated.

"I forgot you had a sword," Kenneth confirmed, still laughing at himself.

"At least you see your mistake, and I can assume..."

"It won't be happening again." Kenneth finished for him.

Jaxson nodded and helped Ken to his feet. Ken dusted himself off and returned to the weapons rack. His first thought was to pick up the other one handed sword and try to wield both. _I'll come back to it if need be, I still have plenty to choose from, _he decided. He quickly bypassed a hand axe, a small hammer, and a pair of spiked knuckles after picking each up. He picked up a long staff and took a few steps in to the open. He began to swing and spin it around himself in a complex yet familiar pattern, but after a few moments he stopped with a sigh and shook his head, grinning at Jaxson. Jaxson gave him a questioning look.

"I like staffs, not too bad with one either," Kenneth stated. "Problem is that, a staff has always felt like a defensive weapon to me. It is good in a pinch but for some reason I think…" He paused. "I think I need a blade." Jaxson seemed to accept this answer, and nodded for him to continue. Setting the staff back in its place, Ken moved on to the next weapon, a hulking double bladed battle axe. He had barely raised the weapon off the rack before setting it back down. "No way in hell, that thing weights a ton." He said out loud. Jaxson guffawed loudly at this.

"Well, at least you know your own limits Kenneth. That is more than I can say about some others I've trained." Ken chuckled a little at this, his hand reaching for the next weapon. It was a two-handed sword that was almost as tall as he was with a double edged blade just over half a foot wide. He lifted it from the rack, surprised to find that it wasn't nearly as heavy as he expected it to be. He took a few steps back and swung the large blade experimentally. It was heavy, but not overly so, and very well balanced.

"Yeah, I like the feel of this one. Can I give it a shot?" He directed his question at Jaxson, who eyed the large blade skeptically.

"The Claymore?" He asked "While I myself am a fan of the blade, I can honestly say I expected you to pass that one up like you did the war axe." Kenneth looked again at the large sword in his hands and then shrugged.

"I thought I would too, but it feels…comfortable." Jaxson gave him a long searching look, and then unsheathed his sword.

"Let's give it a go then," he said, taking up his stance, shield at the ready. "Show me what you've got." Ken took two quick steps forward and swung.

The massive sword came down hard on Jaxson's shield and Ken put his weight behind it, trying to push the man to his knees in one blow. It looked like it might even work, until Jaxson twisted his shield causing the blade to slide right off and embed into the ground. In one fluid motion Jaxson had sidestepped and took a slash at Ken's now defenseless shoulder. Having no time to pull his blade from the ground he instead moved around it causing Jaxson's blade to strike the weapon that was now between them and consequently, helping Ken to jar his weapon free.

Knowing now that he wouldn't be able to overpower Jaxson he switched tactics, throwing quick, precise strikes at him to try and force an opening. _No dice_, he thought, _Jaxson is a pro, and his defense is solid. No way is he going to give me an opening_. At the moment, the only thing that was saving him from Jaxson's attacks was the distance his much longer sword kept between them.

Ken aimed another heavy overhead strike at Jaxson, and it must have been what the trainer was waiting for. He stepped in and swung his shield hard, catching Ken's blade mid-swing. The force behind it bounced Ken's sword up and away from his body, leaving him wide open and off balance. Jaxson's sword was already in motion.

Then, instinct kicked in, and instead of fighting the momentum for control of his sword, Ken moved with it. Twisting himself and his sword around in one quick movement, he parried the strike and pushed back, deflecting Jaxson's blade away from him. He saw the shield slam coming as if in slow motion, and he knew he couldn't stop it and that he couldn't take the hit—Jaxson was too strong. So that left option three: get out of the way. Coiling his whole body up to get his sword as close a possible, Ken shifted directions, thrust the massive weapon point first into the shield, and jumped.

The combination of the two attacks launched him back a good ten feet, out of the way of the attack and far away from Jasxon. He lowered his sword and so did Jaxson, the last bit of battle rage draining from his eyes. "Well done!" the trainer said at last. "It seems you have found your weapon." Kenneth smiled and looked that the Claymore in his hands. He couldn't agree more.

* * *

Jaxson was pleasantly surprised with the boy; he hadn't expected him to be able to use a weapon as unwieldy as that claymore with the skill and grace he had managed just minutes after picking it up. Then again, he had never had to test someone of this age before, so he had no idea what to expect. The boy himself was back over at the weapon racks, admiring the knives he had first picked up.

"So what do you think Brian, any hint to his class type?" asked Gareth, a man he had been friends with for as long as anyone could remember. They had even journeyed together to the gates of Blackrock Mountain and back in the old days. But times were changing. With a sigh he shook his head.

"Not a clue, old friend. At first, from the way he moved and handled those daggers, I thought Rogue. But then he moved on to a one hander, even considered a shield. I could see it in his eyes. He wasn't bad with the sword, just made a stupid mistake, but he moved on anyway." Gareth nodded absentmindedly and waited for him to continue.

"Next time was the staff, and I began to think magic user—I can feel a bit of the magic on him. But he changed his mind, saying it wasn't a real weapon. He finally decided on that claymore, and gave me a good run with it too." Jaxson gave another deep sigh and was about to speak again when Ken called out to them.

"Is this thing really a bow?" He asked, indicating the folded piece of wood he had picked up from the rack. Jaxson chuckled.

"It sure is. Here, I'll show you how it works." Taking the bow from the boy he showed him the leaver to push in order to get the bow to spring open. As the bow unfolded to its full size Kenneth's eyes widened perceptively.

"Okay, that is wicked. Can I try it out?" he asked hopefully, and Jaxson laughed outright.

"Sure, knock yourself out." He replied. "Arrows are in the quiver there and you can use that target over there." Ken expressed his thanks and walked off, collapsing and releasing the bow as he went. Jaxson turned back to Gareth and continued.

"I was beginning to think he may be a warrior, like us; it looked like he had the flexibility in weapons skills and the strength to back it up, but…." He was cut off by the twang of a bowstring and the solid thunk of the arrow striking its target. Jaxson looked back at the boy. The arrow had struck low and to the right, but he had hit the target at least.

"Anyway, like I said, he has the strength to make a mean warrior. But when I pushed him he didn't show an ounce of the battle rage. It was more of a deadly calculating look, he was watching my guard for openings and when he found none started trying to force me to make one. His strikes were very precise for a weapon that large, he…." He was again interrupted by the twang of the bowstring, followed closely by the arrow striking its target. This arrow had hit a bit high but dead center, much closer than his first shot.

"Nice shot kid!" Jaxson called out.

"Yeah, I think I have it figured out now." Kenneth answered back, to the trainer's confusion. What did the boy have figured out? Finally taking a good look at him, he saw it. He had that same look, that deadly calculating stare, but his eyes…

"Brian, his eyes!" Gareth hissed out.

"I see it, Gareth," Jaxson replied quickly. The bowstring sang again, and another arrow embedded itself in the target, dead center. Ken laughed happily at his accomplishment, turning to face the two warriors. His eyes had returned to normal, but there was no mistaking what they had seen. His eyes had been those of a hawk, sharp and unerring. Jaxson smiled. "Kenneth, I believe we may have figured out your classification." Kenneth said nothing, just waited for him to continue. "It seems you are something we haven't seen in decades."

He exchanged a glance with Gareth, pleased and amazed. "A human Ranger. Who'd have guessed?"

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there you have it at long last. I again apoligise for this chapter takeing so long. If you enjoyed it and would like to see more let me know, give me a review. If you hated it and want a refund of the time you wasted reading it, let me know that too! Feedback = WIN ^_^

~ShadowZeroV7


	5. Chapter 4

**This is the revised and finished version of chapter four. I will probably post the next chapter in a day or so. As proof that reviews do make a difference I would like to thank Darkened Fire Dragon for reminding me that people do still want to read this story.**

**Darkened, if you were serious about the cookie… I can haz chocolate chip? :D**

_**~Shadow**_

* * *

Keira and Meira had watched as the seen below them played out. It seems Meira had been correct in guessing that the younger man was there to find hisclassification, and while they still did not fully understand why he was just now doing so, brief snatches of conversations had given them some idea. "It is very odd." She mused "Where could have he been to not to know what is common knowledge to most everyone?" She and Meira had discussed this topic some while watching the duel below them unfold. No matter what secrets the boy had it was plain to see that he could handle himself well in a fight and for some unknown reason that fact had cheered Keira somewhat.

* * *

The trio of men below was beginning to move around again. They had been sitting to the side discussing, apparently, what it would mean for Kenneth (as she had learned his name to be) to be a Ranger. After they said their goodbyes the trainer retired to his home and after a brief conversation between the remaining two the older man had left the way he had come leaving Kenneth alone on the training grounds.

After Gareth had left, with instructions for Ken to meet him at the local inn for dinner later on, Ken had returned once more to the weapons rack. Looking for a distraction he snagged the staff and started spinning it in one of his favorite patterns, in hopes of calming his jumbled thoughts.

Gareth and Jaxon had spent the rest of the morning explaining what it meant for him to be a Ranger as well as how odd it was for one to be found among the Humans instead of the Elves. He had learned about being able to take on animal aspects in order to boost his fighting skills and hone his instincts, along with his ability to be able to track almost anything, be it alive or (strangely enough) undead.

These things and more had been explained to him, he understood what they meant, but his mind was just too overwhelmed at the moment. He spun the staff faster and in more complicated patterns hopping to stop thinking, if just for a few minutes. Lost in the movements he didn't notice the person behind him until they spoke.

"So you must be the one my father was testing today, he was very excited about the whole thing."

Startled, Ken spun around nearly dropping the staff in the process. There stood a girl he guessed to be around his age. She walked slowly toward him holding a staff of her own loosely in her hand. Still not fully recovered from her sudden appearance Ken asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Your father?"

She nodded "Brian is my father, Blair Jaxson, nice to meet you." She held out her hand once she had reached him and they shook as he introduced himself. Ken couldn't help but notice how very RED her long hair was.

"So did you find your class? Is that your weapon of choice?" She asked after a moment while gesturing at the staff in his hand.

Ken shook his head "No; the staff is just something I use to do back home for fun."

"Where is home for you then?" Blair asked casually

Ken hesitated _Brian already knows, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try and explain to her_ he rationalized. "Home is… Well, would you like the long answer or the short one?" He asked her with a small smile.

"Let's start with the short, I'm not really known for my attention span." She joked. Ken smiled just a little more and nodded his ascent.

"Okay then, the short answer: The planet Earth from a different world… I think." Blair looked at him oddly for a moment before asking.

"You think it is called "Earth" or you think it is a different world?" The honest curiosity in her voice led Ken to believe that she actually believed him.

"A different world. Gareth and I spoke about it and I don't recognize many things that are common on Azeroth, like murlocs for example." Blair looked perplexed.

"You have never heard of murlocs?" She asked in disbelief.

"I hadn't until Gareth started telling me about this world." He confirmed. Blare still seemed skeptical so he tried a different approach.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of an automobile?"

"An auto-what?"

"An automobile is a personal mode of transportation in my world, something that is so common that almost everyone owns one of their own." He explained pointedly.

"Is it a Gnomish invention?" She asked curiously?

"Human made, in mass quantities too." Ken couldn't help but smile. "As far as I know there are no Gnomes in my world."

"So it _IS_ true; I didn't believe my father when he told me." She said when he had finished. "And you have no idea how you got here?"

Ken smiled and shook his head "Not a clue, Gareth seems to think it was Fate but I don't know. I would normally just say it was magic but…." He trailed off, chuckling at his own joke.

"But what?" she asked with a frown. Ken arched an eyebrow at her look and then realized his mistake.

"You are a magic user aren't you?" Blair merely gave him a huge grin and nodded. Ken just sighed and shook his head.

"Where I come from using the excuse "It was magic" is a joking way to say you don't know how to explain what has happened, or that you do know the answer and don't want to tell." Blair nodded but still seemed confused.

"But why would a magical explanation make it funny?" She asked not understanding. Ken smiled.

"It's funny because magic doesn't exist where I come from." A quick gasp of "Oh!" from the redhead made Kenneth chuckle a bit. The thought of a world without magic must be inconceivable to one who uses it on a daily basis.

"So, when you said that magic brought you here you meant...?"

"That I don't have the slightest idea how it happened." Ken finished with a grin.

"But magic _does_ exist here." She counted with a grin of her own causing him to frown.

"Yeah but, what exactly does magic do here anyway?" He asked, still unsure.

"Lots of things! Here I'll show you." She told him, obviously excited, before turning toward one of the nearby targets. She seemed to concentrate for a moment before pointing one hand at the target and muttering something under her breath. Then, to Kenneth's amazement, a large ball of fire shot from her raised hand to impact solidly on the target.

"Ok, I stand corrected." Ken said, trying not to stare at the smoking target like an idiot. "It seems that magic remains a valid explanation." He continued causing Blair to laugh and offer a small bow.

"Blair Jaxson, Mage extraordinaire, at your service." She offered with a grin.

"That certainly was impressive; can you use other types of magic or just fire?" Ken asked. Gareth, along with Brian had mentioned many different varieties of magic and he was curious to see more of them. Blair actually blushed and looked away in response.

"Blair will never admit it but she is actually a bit of a prodigy among the mage circles, or a black sheep, depending on who you ask." The new voice behind him prompted Ken to turn to face the speaker. Finding two young men instead of one heading their direction left Ken unsure of which had spoken. Taking a guess he addressed the closest. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of specializing in one or two of the Mage paths, which is difficult in itself, Blair has decided to walk all three. It is something that has never been attempted before now." Out of the corner of his eye Ken noted that his comment only seemed to embarrass Blair farther, but now that the newcomers were closer Ken used the moment to get a good look at them.

The one who had been speaking was slightly taller than Ken was, with dark brown hair cut short. He was clad completely in some type of plate armor that, when added to his already impressive bulk, made him look downright intimidating. It took Ken a moment to spot the shield strapped to the man's back to go along with the longsword sheathed at his waist.

The other new comer, a man with a fairly dark complexion and around Ken's own height, was watching Blair with amusement. His hands were deep in the side pockets of what Ken guessed to be some sort of robe that opened at the front to show simple set of cloth breaches and jerkin underneath. With the short staff hanging on his back Ken guessed him to be another magic user.

"What are the three different Mage paths; Fire is one I'm guessing?" Ken posed, looking both to the armor clad man and to Blair. Surprisingly it was the third who answered.

"The three branches of the Mage path are: Fire, as you guessed, Ice and Arcane. Our Blair here is well on her way to mastering all three." Ken couldn't help but shake his head and grin.

"Mage extraordinaire indeed." He said to Blair with a bit of a laugh. The others laughed as well, obviously it wasn't the first time they had heard this title of hers. The brown haired man suddenly stepped forward offering Ken a gauntlet encased hand.

"Leonard Steele, Protection Paladin. Call me Leo." Ken gave a friendly nod and turned to take the cloth wearer's hand in greeting as well.

"Cael Darkheart, Priest of the Order." Ken was starting to get the idea behind this greeting thing decided to try his hand at it.

"Kenneth, or Ken Chambers, Ranger as I found out today." The reaction was instantaneous as Leo, Cael and Blair all spoke at the same time.

"A Ranger?! That's incredible!"

"So it's true, you aren't from around here."

"I knew dad was hiding something from me!"

"Yeah I…. yeah." Kenneth wasn't entirely sure what to say but he figured that answered most of the questions. The grin on Leo's face was kind of unnerving.

"So you had a match with Brian this morning right?" Leo asked him. Ken nodded before answering.

"Yeah, he had to test me for weapons proficiency and we had a real match when I found one I was comfortable with."

"What did he say about the fight afterword, about how you did?" The others too seemed interested in how he would answer.

"That I wasn't bad but could do better, I don't think he was very impressed." Ken said humorously. The three blinked at each other before stepping in closer.

"How exactly did he say it, this is important." Blair asked in all seriousness. Ken was starting to get confused but answered anyway.

"Umm… I think it was something like 'Well, you have a lot of room for improvement but you'll do." Ken told them with a shrug. Cael let out a low whistle and Leo rocked back on his heels for a moment. Blair however was shaking her head in amusement. At his questioning look she gave a sigh before smirking at him.

"That is high praise indeed coming from my father, especially on your first meeting with him." Ken wasn't sure about that but a look to the other men showed them grinning and nodding their heads in agreement.

"I know what this calls for!" Leo stated suddenly. Ken was just able to make out Blair's muttered "Here we go again…" Leo, who either didn't hear or just didn't care, continued regardless.

"Let's have a match, two on one." He suggested happily, rapping a knuckle on his breastplate. Kens quick glance over to Blair showed she had been expecting this.

"If Cael consents to heal us afterword we can even go all out." He continued with a hopeful glance at the person in question. Cael gave an unconvincing shrug followed by a halfhearted "If I must." before moving away from the rest of the group. Ken again looked to Blair to see what she thought about it.

"It would be good practice for all of us. It wouldn't be the first time I've gone against Leo but maybe this time we will actually win. It's your call though." She told him with a grin to match Leo's. Ken couldn't help but feel their excitement and with a smirk of his own he nodded.

"Alright, I'm game."

* * *

**Next chapter will be the match, Leo vs Ken and Blair and much much more as all the pieces fall into place.**


End file.
